Newfoundland municipalities need to embrace urban bees, beekeeping assoc. say

Beekeepers around the world believe hives in Newfoundlandmay helpthe future of the industry, but the local beekeepers association is having a hard time getting themessage across to municipalities.

Dan Price, president of theNewfoundland and Labrador Beekeeping Association, saysmost people are aware of the importance of bees to the ecosystem,butonly three municipalities officially allow beekeeping within their boundaries.

Price says there are 38 beekeepers scattered across the provinceand they're concerned they might be evicted.

"One of our longeststanding beekeepers in Corner Brook after 25years incident free got a nervous neighbour and they kicked him out," Price said.

Newfoundland hasthe last disease-free population of bees in the world because it hasn't beeninfectedby the mites and illnesses that have decimated bees elsewhere.

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Price saidbeekeepers around the world are clambering to buy localhives, but firsturbanbeekeepersmust be given thegreenlightto expand into more municipalities.

"In Newfoundland, we havea curious problem of a lack of arable land or agriculturally cleared land and this is the land where bees forage. So people live where the bees need to forage in this province," Price said.